Dwight Howard open for PBA stint if league allows him

With his ongoing stint with Philippine team Strong Group for the upcoming 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship, NBA star Dwight Howard is not closing his doors to another possible stint in the country, this time in the PBA.

The former three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, though, hopes the league considers loosening its height limit.

Howard, 38, claims he only stands at 6-foot-9, which is the current maximum height set for an import to see action in the country's premier basketball league, but in the past, he is reportedly at 6-foot-10.

"I’m eligible for PBA. I think they gotta change the height requirement. I’m 6’9” without shoes and with shoes it has a little inch. So hopefully, they do that," Howard said on the sidelines of Strong Group's practice in Makati on Wednesday.

"Guys like Dray can come back and play here as well. I know he wanted to play here in the PBA so you know, if they change the height requirements, maybe we’ll see twin towers in the Philippines."

Should he make his way to the PBA, it will not be the first time that Howard will suit up as an import abroad.

Howard previously saw action in T1 League in Taiwan where he bolstered the Taoyuan Leopards following a remarkable career in the NBA that spanned from 2004 to 2022. During those years, Howard joined a number of teams, including a nine-year stint with the Orlando Magic.

While a PBA stint remains a long shot for now, Howard remains focused on his upcoming campaign with the Charles Tiu-mentored Strong Group with the Dubai tournament kicking off on January 19.

Howard will banner a team that will feature a mixture of veterans and rising stars as they look to redeem themselves following a quarterfinal exit in the previous edition, where they fell to Lebanon's Al Riyadi.

Aside from Howard, also reinforcing the squad is naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche, McKenzie Moore, and Andre Roberson, while the locals will be powered by MPBL MVP Justine Baltazar, UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao, and former Gilas member Jordan Heading. Completing the 12-man team are Francis Escandor, Justine Sanchez, Allen Liwag, Tony Ynot, and JD Cagulangan.

With the kind of talent the team has, Howard believes they can have a deeper run this time.

"I believe the energy from all the guys everybody’s focused. They understand how important this tournament is. Not just for us to win, but for their future careers in basketball," he added.

"It’s been a great opportunity. We’re super happy that I got a chance to be a part of this."

—JKC, GMA Integrated News